Tomas picks pal to replace Pe

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña has chosen Barangay Kasambagan councilman Franklyn Ong to replace Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. once Pe relinquishes his post a few months from now so he can qualify to run as councilor of the city’s south district.

The law provides that in order to qualify for any elective position, a would-be candidate should be a resident for at least one year in the place where he or she wants to run.

At present, Pe is registered with the Cebu City’s north district where he is serving his third and last term as councilor. But for the past several months Pe has been staying in Sitio Banawa in Barangay Guadalupe, although he is still a registered voter in the north district.

Osmeña said he will support Pe’s plan to run in the south district if the law allows it.

The Commission on Elections and the Department of Interior and Local Government said Pe can be allowed to run for the same position in the 2013 elections despite the term limit because the place that he is planning to run as councilor is another district.

Section 45 of the Local Government Code provides that if in case a member of a legislative body of a highly urbanized city causes a permanent vacancy to his position, the president through the executive secretary shall appoint the person to assume the post.

The law further states that the appointee shall come from the same political party as that of the person who caused the vacancy.

In the case of Pe, his replacement should come from the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan founded by Osmeña in 1986.

It is provided for by the law that the head of the political group shall issue a certificate of membership of the appointee, otherwise the nomination shall be considered null and void.

After winning the barangay post in the 2010 elections, Ong was elected as president of the Barangay Councilors League of the Philippines-Cebu City Chapter and also national vice president of the BCLP for Visayas.

Before he joined politics, Ong was already the president of the Pasajero Motors Corp. based along Juan Luna Ave. in Barangay Mabolo.

Although the Comelec and DILG officials have already said that Pe can run as councilor of the city’s south district despite serving consecutive terms as north district councilor, some legal experts said any interested parties may contest the issue in court.

Pe is presently the chairman of the City Council’s committee on peace and order and also used to be the head of the Cebu City Mining Board until that Mayor Michael Rama replaced him with Engr. Rene Mercado.

“Kun ang balaud motugot kanato pagpadagan atong suwayan pagserbisyo ang katawhan sa south district,” Pe earlier said.

Pe is one of the third-termer members of the City Council who can no longer seek reelection. Others are councilors Rodrigo Abellanosa, Edgardo Labella, Raul Alcoseba and Edu Rama. – (FREEMAN)